Electric tower for displaying carriage-numbers.



EATENTED EEE. 16, 19o?.

No. 850.671. l

' J.H.M0DAN1EL.

ELECTRIC TOWER EOE EISPLAYING EAERIAGE NUMBER-s.

APPLIOATIGN FILED MAY 8. 1906.

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PATENTED APE.1C, 1907'.`

110.850,671. 4 J. H. MODANIEL,

ELECTRIC TOWER ECE DISPLAYINC CARRIAGE NUMBERS.

APPLIOATION FILED HAY 8. 1906.

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JOHN H. MODANIEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC TOWER FOR DISPLAYING CARRIAGE-NUMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .April 16, 1907.

Application filed May S, 1906. Serial No. 315,847.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN H. MCDANIEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Electric Tower for Displaying Carriage- Numbers, of which the following is a speelfication.

My invention relates to a signal-tower adapted to display illuminated signal devices for the purpose of summoning carriages or other conveyances at theaters or other places where a large number of people are assembled.

The invention aims primarily to provide a novel signal-tower and apparatus for displaying illuminated numbers a suflicient distance above the heads of a crowd to enable the drivers of waiting vehicles to clearly distinguish the numbers displayed and to respond to the same in their turn.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, partly in side elevation, ofca signal-tower constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the tower proper. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section upon line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an inverted perspective view of a number-box, which will be hereinafter described; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a spring-roller hereinafter described.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.`

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a cabin to which access may be had through a door 6. A chair 7 provides a convenient seat for the operator, as willbe hereinafter set forth. A ticket-window comprising a window-casing 8, a glass 9, having an'opening 10 formed therein, and a shelf 11 is located in the side wall of the cabin.

If desired, a second window similar to the one just'described may be'located in the opposite wall of the cabin. A sill 12 running transversely of the cabin imparts additional rigidity to the whole structure, forms a convenient foot-rest for the operator, and creates a shallow compartment for the reception of a chest 13, adapted to receive number-boxes 14.v Chest 13 is provided with a closure 15,\which is hinged at 16 to the rear wall of said chest and is provided at its front edge with a handle 17.

Secured to the side walls of the cabin and located in the upper right-hand corner thereof (see Fig. 1) is a battery-box 18, in which are located storage batteries 19 for supplying an electric current to incandescent signallamps, which will be hereinafter described.

Located immediately above the cabin 5 is a platform 20, to which access may be had by a stairway 21, leading from said platform to the ground. Rising from this platform is a tower 22, comprising a front wall 23, a rear Wall 24, and theside walls and 26. A compartment 27 is formed in the lower part of the tower by a partition 28, and said compartment is divided into a number of pigeonholes by a vertical partition 29 and a horizontal partition 30. A door 31 forms a closure for the compartment 27, said door being hinged, as at 32, to the front wall of the tower.

The top 33 of the tower extends beyond the side walls thereof and has secured thereto hangers, which carry bearing-plates 35 and 36. Said hangers, which are designated by the numeral 34, are secured to top 33 of the tower by screws or other fastening devices 37.

Passing through the upper part of the tower and mounted in the bearing-plates 35 and 36 is a spring-actuated roller 38.` By referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings it will be seen that the construction of this spring-roller is similar to the construction yof an ordinary shade or curtain-roller said rollercomprising a yhollow body portion 39, a pin located at one end of the bearing portion and adapted to rotate in bearing-plate 35, said pin being indicated by the numeral 40, a stem 41 having an angular end 41 adapted to be received in a slot 42 of bearing-plate 36, a coiled spring 43, adapted to actuate said body portion in one direction, a ratchet carried by stem 41, and a pawl 44, adapted to engage saidratchet, all of the usual and well-known construction.

Attached to roller 38 and adapted to be wound thereon ,by the action of spring 43 are the flexible bands 45 and 46, the free ends of which are attached to studs 47, formed integral with a carrier 48 and projecting through slots 49 and 50, formed in the side walls of the tower. Attached to thebottom of the carrier 48 is a ropel or cord 51, the

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formed therein for a purpose which will lower end of which carries a handle 52. The front wall of the tower has an opening 53 be described later on.

Mounted upon the center of carrier 48 and projecting above the upper face thereof is an incandescent lamp 54, to which current is supplied by the batteries 19 through a wire 55, which passes through an opening for-med in partition 28, partition 29, and platform 20. Incandescent lamps 56, located at the corners of the platform 20, are also fed from batteries 19 through a wire 57.

Located upon each side of the tower a short distance above the opening 53 are spreaderblocks 58, and to said blocks is secured an awning-frame 59, adapted to support an awning 60. Openings 61, formed in the upper portions of the walls of the tower, are covered by windows 62, which may, if desired, be formed of magnifying-glass. Said windows are hinged to the tower, as at 63.

Passing transversely through the tower a short distance below the windows 62 are rods 64, which project a considerable distance beyond the walls of the tower and are hinged, as at 65 and 66. Transversely disposed with relation to these rods and secured to the outer ends thereof by screws 67 are the rods 68. Parallel with the rods 64 and having a sliding engagement with the eXtreme outer ends of rods 68 through the medium of slots 69 and pins 70 are rods 71, hinged centrally, as is indicated at 72. A canopy 73, carried by the above-mentioned rods, protects the platform and the space about the base of the device from snow or rain.

In Fig. 4 one of the number-boxes is shown in perspective. Thenumber20 is indicated on said boX. Said boxes carry a corresponding number upon all of their sides. These numbers are formed by cutting through the sides of the boxes, and said boXes are then lined vwith plates of what is commonly known as opal glass. This glass presents awhite appearance during the day; but at night a light is easily visible through it.

The operation of the device is as follows: A signal-tower such as is herein shown and described must in order to be of practical use not only provide means for showing a signal, but must also provide convenient means for issuing checks to the drivers of the carriages upon their arrival at the theater. This object is accomplished by the provision of the cabin 5, The operator takes his station in this cabin, and as each carriage arrives the driver thereof is given a check containing the number which 'will be shown at the tower when his carriage is wanted. The operator retains a corresponding check containing the number and the name of the owner of the carriage. These checks are issued through the ticket-window in the cabin. After the performance at the theater is over the operator takes his position upon the platform 20, having first removed to said platform such number-boxes as the checks in his possession show will be needed. Compartment 27 is utilized to hold these checks, and the awning 60 affords additional protection to the operator at this time. When a given carriage is called for, the operator passes the number-box containing the carriage-number through opening 53 and places it upon the carrier 48, at which time the walls of said number-box will surround the lamp 54. Bands 45 and 46 are then pulled upon until the spring-roller, acting after the manner of a shade-roller, winds said bands upon itself, and thereby draws the carrier and number-box to the upper limit of movement of said carrier, or, in other words, until the studs of said carrier reach the upper ends of the slots in which they travel, at which time the number-box will be opposite the windows of the tower and the number carried thereby will be visible through said windows by virtue of the fact that the light from lamp 54 will shine through the opal glass 74 to thereby outline the numbers at night and by virtue of the fact that said glass presents a white surface by day while the number-boxes are painted black. It will thus be seen that Vthis device may be used for either the matines or the evening performances. The signal-lights carried upon the corners of platform 2O may be used to signal the end of the perform ance or any other fact agreed upon. These lights may be of various colors, if desired.

If in winter is should be found that an undue amount of snow has collected upon the canopy 73, the supporting-braces 75, which are pivoted to the tower 4at 76 and to the swinging portions of rods 64 at 77 and are hinged at 78, may be pressed upwardly and toward the tower. This will result in the downward swinging of said rods 64 lupon the arc A. Rods 68 will be carried bodily downward therewith, while rods 71 will be bent at their pivotal point 72, and the outer ends thereof will travel downwardly upon the arc B. This collapsing of the canopy-frame will cause the snow to slide from the canopy, after which the parts may be restored to their original position. Cord 51 and handle 52 provide means for drawing the carrier down when it is desired to substitute another number-box for the one shown.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that simple and efficient means are herein provided for displaying carriage-signals, for issuing carriage-checks, for affording protection to the operator during inclement weather, and for protecting the space around the device from rain and snow. While the elements shown are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to e understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated, but

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includes within its purview such changes as l raising and lowering said platform, and a may he made within the' scope of the apnumher-hoX provided with transparent digits pended claim. and designed to be mounted upon said plat- Having described my invention7 what l form surrounding said light. 5 claim is- In testimony whereof l afliX my signature 15 Y A device for displaying carriage-signals in presence of two witnesses.

comprising a vertical tower provided with JOHN H. MCDANIEL. numberopenings adjacent the top thereof, a Witnesses: horizontal platform movable through said JOHN HOLLIDAY WEAR,

ro tower, a light on said platform, means for JosEPI-r B. CRAWFORD. 

